How small should celery be cut?

[DocDolittle]

I just gave my piggies a little buffet, and I was watching to see what Pippin, my brand new baby, likes and he went absolutely crazy for celery. I was really excited, because so far he's barely stepped out of his hidey house, let alone talk. I actually had to move his pellets into his house so he would eat them, and I had to syringe feed him water yesterday. The water level is lower, bso he has to be drinking it, but he is still quite scared of his new surroundings. I've heard that you should cut celery so that the strings don't cause digestive problems. How small should I cut them?

 

[heabrook]

When I give celery to my pigs, I use a peeler to peel off the strings. I cut them into about 1-inch long pieces and then half them length-wise. That usually works well for them. Just be sure to get off as much of the string as you can, because you are right - it causes digestive problems.

 

[ILovePiggies]

~I give my pig the same but sometime i like to cut it sideways not length ways so if there are any strings they are really short...kind of like the little horse shoe shapes.

 

[DocDolittle]

Yes, that's how I cut them.

 

[Katie]

I don't cut my Celery. My pigs to fine with the whole stocks. When they chew they chew the sting into small pieces anyway, so I don't worry about it getting caught in the intestines.

 

[kavykritter]

yeah, but it has happened and it can happen

 

[Katie]

Maybe it can, but cavies have got their heads stuck in C&C cages and died, but does that mean I am going to stop using C&C cages? No. My cavies do fine with stalks, if others want to cut them into small pieces they can go right ahead.

 

[AngelsCavies]

I wont give my piggies celery. I try to avoid them just as much as I can. I dont want to come in and see one dead.

 

[Katie]

I wont give my piggies celery. I try to avoid them just as much as I can. I dont want to come in and see one dead

Because you gave it celery? I have heard more people talk about their cavies dying from C&C cages then dying from Celery. Cavies chew their food into small bits. It can happen, but it's very rare.

 

[Sierra]

I cut mine into pieces 1/2"-1" big.

 

[Loveheart]

I gave celery to my guinea pigs and later on I found my guinea pig choking and it died, Someone said it was death throws or something though, But still to be on the safe side I never give them celery

 

[MilesWaterson]

cavies have got their heads stuck in C&C cages and died

Yikes! I didn't know about that. Is this documented somewhere on this forum?

 

[Katie]

Yikes! I didn't know about that. Is this documented somewhere on this forum?

I'm not sure if it's on this forum, but I have seen many people post their experiences with the cages on other forums. I myself had an adult sow get her head stuck, but luckily I was there to cut the wires. I've heard of some that were not so lucky. I still use and recommend C&C cages though.

 

[John4216]

On the getting head stuck I wonder how?? there is no way possible for my pigs to reach the metal part of the cage because the coroplast sides are actually the walls that keep them in...and another note would be that the cubes that were used were the proper size (like it notes on this site ) so only when they were babies would their heads fit even if the could reach it..as adults their heads dont even come close to fitting..the reason I know this is because I made a hidey tunnel for them using the cube so I checked each of them to make sure they couldnt in anyway fit...just in case...I'd say anyone who has complained anywhere about this occurring did not take the proper precautions when doing their cage (My current cage I bought from this site)..such as making sure the coroplast sides are high enough, especially if you have babies, making sure they didnt buy the wrong sized cubes, etc. So I would say dont say its the C&C cage rather its the construction and owner that caused any issue with the cage...

I would never knock someone for not taking a chance, its always better safe than sorry, especially considering that in this case a mistake can be fatal so if a person doesnt want to do celery, ok that makes sense...I wont do celery for mine either because of the risk...why take the chance when there is so many other things they can snack on.

I just noticed that there was even some pictures in the gallery someone put up showing "babyproofing" the cubes so even baby piggies couldnt go through..

 

[Katie]

I wonder how??

I wonder how too. I wasn't there when she did it, but it happened to my 3 year old sow. My cage is contrusted properly. I have the 14" grids that have the 1.5" squares. My coroplast is 6" high.

So I would say dont say its the C&C cage rather its the construction and owner that caused any issue with the cage...

It IS the cage. Cavies come in all different sizes (when adults) Some have narrow pointy heads, some have think rounded heads. Some are thin, some are chubby. Like I said, I still use AND recommend C&C cages. I will NOT stop using them, but cavies CAN get their heads stuck, pups AND adults.

would never knock someone for not taking a chance

Did I knock them? No. I told MY experience and I said what I do.

I just noticed that there was even some pictures in the gallery someone put up showing "babyproofing" the cubes so even baby piggies couldnt go through..

All of my cages for pups are baby proofed. However, my cavy that got stuck was an ADULT.

 

[John4216]

I wasn't directing that at you, it was a comment in general. What I was saying about construction, if worried about heads getting stuck, would be that the piggies cant get stuck if they cant touch the cubes and they cant touch the cubes of the coroplast wall is high enough.

 

[Katie]

if they cant touch the cubes and they cant touch the cubes of the coroplast wall is high enough.

Recommended wallk height is 6". Adult cavies, when standing on their hind legs, CAN reach the grids.

 

[John4216]

Ok katie I know that I am just offering advice that if people are worried about them getting stuck then the 6" height obviously is not high enough and increasing it would eliminate the issue...sound good?

 

[DocDolittle]

Will it offer enough ventilation in the cage if I make it al little higher than 6 inches? Because I have a nine week old boar now and, even though I have yet to put him in the C&C cage with Cocoa(One because it's not finished, and two because my nine week old is in quarantine), and I'm already paranoid.

 

[John4216]

For example if you have a 2x4 cage and raise the walls to, lets say, 9" and you the top open (open meaning not a solid lid) it should be fine..the wider the cage the higher the walls could be also and I am not advocating for or against walls higher than 6"...I am just saying that if they are just high enough for the piggies to not be able to reach the cubes then there is not worry about them getting stuck...or you could also, as the pictures in the photo gallery showed, baby proof your instead of changing the walls and this, if properly done, should also eliminate the worry of them getting stuck.